Part III
"Ayame-chan?" The question was asked nervously, as if he could sense the changes in her and didn't know what to think of them. Ayame gaped at the man before her, remembering him only as a petulant boy, then briefly as an awkward teenager. She remembered him hoisting Suzume onto his shoulders while she stared up at them with an odd mesh of contentment and envy.
The man standing before her now was tall and lean, not the gangly all-legs he had been upon returning to Japan in his early teens. His light brown hair was still shaggy, but neatly trimmed despite that. He seemed masculine yet possessed a grace only a swordsman could have and a confidence that did not transfer over into arrogance. Ayame could tell by looking at him, for she had met many arrogant men. She had married a man so arrogant as to believe he could find happiness anywhere, even in a woman like her.
They were interrupted by Yahiko, clearing his throat uncomfortably. Tsubame stood near, her eyes on the children and unaware of any deeper meaning behind the meeting.
"Yahiko, I came only to say hello. I didn't know you had a visitor," Ayame prompted subtly, waiting for Yahiko to introduce them more formally.
"Tsukayama Yutarou, this is Inoue Ayame. You guys know each other, I don't know why I'm bothering—"he was interrupted by a sharp jab in the side by Tsubame, who smiled graciously at both Ayame and Yutarou.
"Won't you come inside, Ayame? You haven't visited in a long time, and the children would love to see you," she said quietly, a little nervously. Tsubame had never been comfortable flaunting her happiness in front of people who had none. She would find herself flustered, always saying the wrong thing.
Although Tsubame would never admit it in a million years, she was relieved to see Ayame shake her head.
"I just dropped by on my way to the market. I'll see you—sometime," Ayame said hurriedly, bowed, and saw herself through the gate.
"But the market is on the other si—" Yahiko was interrupted by another sharp elbow to the rib, courtesy of his wife.
*
Yutarou had tried to feign interest in the goings-on around him that evening, but he was distracted. The sight of little Ayame as a woman grown had greatly disturbed him, and he had no idea why. Perhaps it reminded him of what he had missed, his travels around the world keeping him from some sort of life he could have had here in Japan.
But that was ridiculous. He had no real family here, only friends. He had friends everywhere.
Kaoru-san had been his teacher but she was gone now. Himura-san had been a mentor but he was gone too. So who did that leave? What was left for him here?
Not a damn thing, that's what.
When he thought about it, he really had no idea why he had come back. Something had always drawn him here, but he resisted for many years. The news of Kaoru and Kenshin had reached him, many weeks after. Sanosuke's return and marriage to Megumi had also reached him. Still he had not returned. He had jotted down a note of condolence for parents lost so soon all the while trying to stay his shaking hand and sent it to Kenji, whom he had barely known as a baby. He had also sent a wedding gift to Sagara, picked out by a woman friend who knew of such dealings. He hadn't had any clue on what to purchase. It was an awkward relationship he had with these people, made worse now upon his return.
Yahiko and Tsubame had been wonderful hosts, welcoming him into their family and showering him with kindness. He had played with their children, reveling in their laughter and wishing he could be a true family member in every sense of the word. But he felt like a stranger now.
"Yutarou? What are you thinking?" Tsubame asked from across the table, noticing his far-off look and untouched plate before him. Yutarou's smile was an embarrassed one.
"So much has changed here since I was gone. I never expected Ayame to grow up," he said with a laugh, but Yahiko and Tsubame looked at each other, then at Yutarou sadly.
"What is it?" Yutarou asked, ashamed with himself for making the light atmosphere into a tense one.
"Ayame-san has been grown up for a long time now," Tsubame said evasively, then offered him sake as a distraction. Yahiko heartily accepted the cup she offered him. Yutarou should have taken the hint to let the matter drop, but found his curiosity was stronger than propriety.
"Is she married? Her name is Inoue now, isn't it?" he asked. Tsubame glanced down at the table, so Yahiko took up the thread.
"Ayame-san is a widow. Her husband died a couple of years ago. I'm not positive on the details, but he died violently. After that Ayame hasn't spoken to any of us very often. We were very surprised to see her around here today. She probably heard you were in town and her nose led her here," Yahiko said, a serious expression blanketing his features. Yutarou could tell that much was left unsaid, but let it go, enjoying his sake.
*
A bottle of sake later, Yutarou and Yahiko were completely out-of-their-minds drunk. At first they had joked and laughed boisterously, recalling funny stories of times together and apart, but now they drank in silence, comfortable with the dead air between them. Tsubame and the children had retired hours earlier and the crisp night air leaked in through an open shoji.
A feeling of contentment seeped into Yutarou's bones.
"Yahiko. Are you happy with family life? I mean—do you find it boring at all?" Yutarou asked softly, unable to keep his drunken musings to himself for too long. Yahiko didn't look at him, instead he reached for the bottle and drained it of its last drops.
"Yes and no. My life has a certain routine, but it's a routine I like. It's not a life they write books about, but when I look around I feel proud. Maybe that sounds stupid to you, someone who's seen everything," Yahiko said, then let a mighty belch escape his throat.
"No. Not stupid at all," Yutarou said softly, looking down at his hands so Yahiko wouldn't see the look in his eyes.
These chapters are pretty short. They'll get longer, I promise.